La Dolce Vita Spaghetti Sauce

My kids tell me that the spaghetti at school is horrible! Not near as good as moms!


So here is my favorite from scratch spaghetti sauce recipe:

Heat 2 Tbs or enough to lightly coat pan with Olive oil

Add 1 diced yellow onion or sweet onion

Lightly coat with sea salt ( So the onions will sweat)

Meanwhile finely mince 4 or more garlic cloves to taste ( I use mini Cuisinart food processor)

Add 1 to 2 tsp of fennel seed, and 1 to 2 tsp on red pepper flakes to onions cooking.

To the processor or if you are finely mincing the garlic add a palm full or more of fresh Oregano and Italian Basil leaves, finely mince with the garlic cloves.

Add the Oregano, Basil, and Garlic to the onion fennel mixture and cook a few minutes more in pan to flavor the olive oil.


Meat:

1 pound of ground Italian sausage ( or more if you want a meaty sauce)

Add the meat to the onion herb mixture cook until browned.

(Do not drain your meat..... Italian grandma's did not drain there meat), next add...
1 TBS Italian Seasoning
1 14.5 oz c. Diced tomato's
1 15 oz c. Sauce
1 28 oz c. Crushed tomato's
1. tiny c. of Paste
A splash (1/4 c approx)... of Red wine
1 TBS of sugar

Let sauce come to a boil again and then turn to a simmer. Let cook for an hour or longer. If sauce becomes to thick add a little water and simmer more.

Do not over stir, stir only every 20 mins or so.

Serve over your favorite pasta with fresh parmesan cheese and fresh chopped Italian Flat Leaf parsley.

CIO!

My Very First Sewing Project

Thanks to all the inspiration from my sisters blog The Collective Bug, and to Kelly's Much To Do With Nothing blog I have succumbed to a re-design itch! I thought something was wrong with my sewing machine first off. I put it away in the garage and thought I had to go get it fixed.

I have never sewed anything at all and have never learned how to sew. I was given this sewing machine a couple years ago and did not realise until talking with my sister Missy that it could make a differnce to simply use some better thread.

Duh... that would be way to simple! So today I ran to Joannes craft store to buy thread, and it must have been my lucky day as they were also having a 60% off sale.

The white embroidered fabric was the last on the pole so I was given a whole yard @ 80% off!

So anyhow I came home figured out my bobbin thingy put a new needle on my sewing machine and began....

The simplest idea for making a slip cover came to me when thinking about just making an opening along the backside, like a pocket. So thats what I did. Fortunately also the exsisting pillow that I wanted to cover unzipped out of it's cover.

So for this project I simply took the exsisting cover off the pillow and traced on the wrong side of the fabric. Next I figured out were I wanted to fold along the back a center opening like a pocket. Then I sewed the pocket seems first inside out. Then I sewed along all four corners. Turned it back right side out and walla! I had a cute little pocket center to stuff my pillow into.

I think it might be more cute with a nice button, but that is for another day for me to figure out.

I also posted a couple pictures of the other two peices of fabric I purchased. The floral and off white fabric is from Waverly and I can't remember what the other one is from.

I am definately excited! Thank you blogger gals!

Very Cool Giveaway

I just discovered a new blog thanks to another blog I was reading, and liked this site so much that I decided to join and post a link back.

She has a beautiful site, and neat idea's. Go check out her blog and become a fan! The link back is on the right hand side of this site, and is called Miss Mustard Seed's Creative Blog.
The give away is huge! I have never seen a giveaway this big, and the stuff is nice too!

Garnet Montana Photo's

Here are some of the pictures I took of the scenery. I was thinking they would look good black and white with matted frames on my gallery wall I am working on at home. I really like the one of the windy road and the mist on the tops of the mountains.

Ghost Town Garnet Montana

I just thought I would share a few photo's of our recent family outing to Garnet Montana. I wanted to add more pictures but could not fit any more in this post. :( I really enjoyed this trip, it is a self guided tour and they actually let you go in these cabins, general store, hotel, saloon etc. I was in heaven with looking at all the antiques, too bad you can not purchase. To make it even more cool the trip is ll miles up a steep hill and on this particular day the mountains were misty topped with clouds from a light rain.
Me and the kids sang "Lions, and tigers and bears....oh my!" on the way up! It was way too much fun and the air smelled so good there. There were a lot of wild flowers and things and the smell of cedar was very lovely.

I'm going to add another post to this one to share some more photo's. I took a few of scenery around and I really liked the way they turned out. I am currently working on a gallery wall at home, and printing photo's in black and white format and I think these would look good in the mix.

Unfinished Heirloom

I started this circular shawl a few months ago and have yet to finish. I must profess that even though I really do enjoy crocheting, I have such a short summer season were I live that I can not see spending much time crocheting.... I love playing in the garden or playing a game outside with my kids.

This is a shawl I am making for my Aunt Deborah. Her favorite color is purple so when I bought the yarn I had her in mind. I know the fibers are called Kidlin, a combination of kid mohair and linen but I can not remember the brand right now.

What I love most about this shawl so far is the spiral pattern in the middle. Also what I love about it is that I was inspired by two designer's (my favorite of course) Doris Chan and Kristen Omdahl.

I had recently just finished the circular floral lace shawl and I understood what Kristin was trying to teach about exploding a motif.

I can not wait to finish this pattern when I have some more selfish time to spend watching a chick flick and crocheting, what do you think?

This is my design my pattern. There is alway's a time for a first!

All artist's have some form of inspiration, this is what I'm told.

MORE Sweet Pea's!

I had to take some more pictures of my sweet pea's today for memory. I know I already posted pictures of them a while back. The truth is I am completely taken by these flowers. When the wind blows they smell so perfumed it is almost intoxicating. The more I have cut the more flowers I seem to get. I have probably got around 12 or more bouquet's of 70 or more stems in the last month. I know they will sadly die soon as the temperature gets really hot. Fortunately for this flower it has been mostly a cool summer so far.
I love photography, and I have a fairly decent camera. I know it is not a professional grade camera but I wanted to capture the beauty of all the colors. After I picked them and put them in a vase I also took a picture from the top view. It is interesting how it seems there is some yellow in there. The salmon pinks, lavender and the green itself are all a beautiful mix of color.

So here is the last of my Sweet Pea rah rah for this season! I hope some one else might enjoy looking at these photo's too, and maybe they will plant their own sweet pea's next year! :)

Fennel

Anyone who really knows me knows I go gaga over Fennel. The first time I tried this herb/root vegetable was the day I decided to make a home made Cioppino. I noticed the wow that the fennel gave the dish and have been in love with it ever sense.

Fennel is great in salad. My favorite is a mixture of thinly sliced fennel, mandarin oranges and fresh oranges, thinly sliced red onion, the green parts of the fennel bulb, and a fresh balsamic vinaigrette.

All I can say is D-Lish!

So this early spring, I would say March I started seedling's under my grow lights. I have harvested about 6 bulbs of fennel so far and I have these left in my last bed. I can not wait to try them.

Fennel is also good in a Ratatouille dish, or grilled with olive oil salt and pepper.

Love-Lies-Bleeding

This plant is an Heirloom with a very tiny seed. I started it indoor 8 weeks before the last spring frost and then transplanted it twice before it's final destination.

I am proud of this plant not only because it is really unusual and pretty but because it is so satisfying that I did not have to purchase it from the nursery. I actually saw these plant's last week at the local nursery for around $9.00 dollars a plant!

The tassels are beautiful and fun. I also read that they attract song birds, and really I have noticed some distinct songs. I wish I had my camera earlier as I had a Red Robbin perched right near this beautiful plant.

Borage

Borage is an heirloom herb with pretty blue flowers. I have heard that you can candy the flowers and that they have been used in cake decor, but I have never really been that ambitious about using them.

I admire their beauty especially towards the evening when their fuzziness seems to make them glow.

An old wives tale is that they help whatever plant they are next to. I think they may also have some beauty benefits, but will have to go read up more about.